by Assaph Mehr
Glossary
Aedile one of the civil servant posts in the Senate (as opposed to the collegia). Aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings, regulation of public festivals, and enforcing public order.
Amasiuncula loved one, darling.
AUC or Ab Urbe Condita literally “from the founding of the city.” This is the counting of years in Egretia.
Auctoritas a measure of personal public standing and influence. While it’s the basis of the English word ‘authority,’ the auctoritas of a person stems rather from the respect of his colleagues and his clout and ability to influence others to his opinion, rather than out of any official role. Compare with dignitas below.
Aqua an aqueduct (literally, water).
Aqua Sextiae the main aqueduct of Egretia, bringing fresh water from six sacred springs in the foothills on the mountains to the south-west, and cascading them throughout the city.
Augur an incantator specialising in augury, the branch of magia concerned with divination, prognostication, and clairvoyance.
Aureus a gold coin, worth 25 denarii.
Avia grandmother.
Avrilis the second month of the Egretian year — our April.
Bireme a war galley with two banks of oars.
Bona Dea the Good Goddess. Concerned with chastity and fertility amongst women and the health and protection of the city’s citizenry at large.
Cack shit. Not proper Latin (which would be cacat), but I like the four-letter expletive nature of the word.
Campus (pl. Campi) a flat expanse of ground.
Cara darling, a term of endearment. Literally precious or expensive.
Century the base unit in the legions, 80 fighting men and 20 non-combatants. Six centuries make a cohort, and ten cohorts make a legion. Each group of eight soldiers in a century tent and mess together and have a mule cart and non-combatants assigned to them.
Centurion the commander of a century (see above). The most senior and able soldier. Their ranks do not correspond to the modern non-commissioned officers. Rather, centurions were the effective field commanders, while the general with his legates and tribunes were the strategic and administrative leadership. There were some 60 centoriones in a legion, ranked by seniority within each cohort and across the legion.
Cestus a gladiator trained to use his fists. In fights they usually wore spiked brass gloves.
Circus the arena where games and races were held.
Citocacia stink-weed, a mild insult.
Client in the Egretian social order, a client pledged himself to a patron. His oath (which varied in formality across the ages — in Egretia it was more formal) was to serve the interests and wishes of his patron and in return was granted favours and assistance. As examples, the obligations could be to vote according to the patron’s wishes or fulfil other tasks, and the favours could be money or assistance in being elected to public office. As people’s standing rose, they acquired more clients — even though they might still be clients of patrons further up the social order.
Clivus (pl. Clivii) a slope of a hill or mountain. Often used as part of a street name, for streets on a steep incline.
Cloaca (pl. Cloacae) sewer drains. The Cloaca Maxima are the main sewage lines that run under Egretia.
Cloacina the divinity of the sewers, and also the protector of sexual intercourse in marriage. Her shrine was next to the Forum, close to an intersection of the major sewage lines.
Cognomen the third name of a person, often a nickname but also inherited to distinguish branched of the same gens (see below). For example, Spurius Vulpius Felix, the cognomen Felix means lucky, and was given to him; with Lucius Valerius Flaccus, the Flaccus cognomen is inherited from father to son in the ancient gens Valeria and their branch would be known (in plural) as the Valerii Flaccii.
Cohort the main tactical unit of legion. Composed of six centuries, or about 480 fighting men and 120 non-combatants at full strength.
Collegium (pl. Collegia) a college, an association. In Latin that would have been a loose association of artisans, a sodality rather than a medieval guild. In Egretia, however, I have chosen to mix in elements of the Greek / Alexandrian ‘museon’ — to also become an institute of knowledge, learning, and teaching, as well as administration.
Collegium Incantatorum college of sorcerers.
Collegium Mercatorum college of merchants.
Collegium Militum college of soldiers.
Compitalia the annual festival in honour of the lares, those of the home, of the crossroads and the public lares of Egretia.
Cunnus (pl. Cunni) cunt.
Consul the highest-ranking elected public official. They were the executives of the senate. Two consuls were elected yearly and served from one Martius to the next.
Contio an assembly, often of a political nature.
Convivium a banquet or feast.
Corculum darling, sweetheart.
Curia an assembly hall, usually in reference to the senate.
Cursus Honorum the “course of offices”, a sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians. In Egretia, it includes public offices within the senate and within the colleges. One could be a quaestor in a particular college and use it as an admission for the Senate, rather than stand election as a public quaestor, however that was not common due to the restrictions on senators.
Curule (Latin: curulis) relating to the imperium-holding magistrates of Rome. The curule chair (sella curulis) was a symbol of that power.
Decury in the senate and other organisations, a division of ten men. Interestingly, the cavalry used it as well, but not the legions (where men tented and messed in groups on eight).
Deliciae meae my darling.
Denarius (pl. Denarii). A silver coin, worth four sestertii. One of the most common denominations. Accounting was done in sestertii, but since they were heavy bronze coins most people preferred to carry the smaller, silver denarii.
Dignitas a measure of personal public standing. More than just dignity, it is the person’s worth in the public’s eyes, a measure of his reputation for moral fibre. It was the most important aspect for any one in public life, such as senators and other on the cursus honorum. Compare with auctoritas above.
Dis god of the underworld, both richness of soil and minerals and of the dead. Also, the name of the place where the shades of the dead go.
Dominus master. Female: domina. When addressing a person, the case ‘domine’ is used.
Domus a private house or home, usually in the city. Country houses are usually referred to as villas.
Elementor an incantator who specialised in manipulating the six elements of magia.
Endotercissus a day “cut in half,” where sacrifices were prepared in the morning and offered at night, but business was permitted around midday.
Ephemezica a large city-state in Hellica. Refer to the maps in the beginning on the book or online.
Fascinum the embodiment of the divine phallus. Charms made in the image of a winged penis and testicles were used to ward off the ‘evil eye’.
Fellator one who performs oral sex; used as verbal abuse. Felix’s favourite curse, fellator asini, is one who performs oral sex on donkeys.
Felix lucky.
Forum a public open space. Most fora (plural) would have had many public structures associated with them — from small buildings to large temples on the edges, with altars, fountains and plinths for statues in their midst.
Forum Bovarium the meat markets.
Forum Egretium the heart of Egretia, where the main buildings and administrative centres lie, and where the population gathers to hear and discuss the news.
Forum Frumentarium the grain markets. In Egretia it also doubles as the Forum Holitorium — the vegetable and oil markets. This is where the public grain was stored; private merchants might
have had other stores and shops throughout the city.
Forum Piscarium the fish markets of Egretia. Considering the maritime nature of the Egretian culture, fish and fish products (like garum) were a significant staple.
Garum fermented fish sauce. In Rome, this was done with fish meat and guts fermented with salt. The addition of cuttlefish and the distinction of grades based on it is a purely Egretian thing. (There were undoubtedly different grades in Roman times, but the terms I used were more likely in use during different historical periods rather than relating to quality.)
Gens (pl. Gentes) a family or clan, all the members sharing the same nomen gentilucum (second name). For example, Lucius Valerius Flaccus belongs to the gens Valeria.
Gladiator a combatant that fought for the entertainment of the crowds. Mostly men (though there were women gladiatrices and other curiosities), mostly slaves or criminals given this as a choice to exile or death. Because of the high training costs, gladiators had to want to become one, and fights were rarely to the death. Traditionally gladiatorial games were part of funeral rites, but in recent years as their popularity grew any excuse would do to display a good match.
Some gladiators achieved celebrity status, particularly later in the republic and into the empire period, and were used for more private entertainment. Those that survived five years, or thirty matches, were usually given their freedom, though they suffered from social stigmas (as well as any other debilitating injuries they may have sustained).
Gladius the short straight sword favoured by the Egretians.
Haruspicy the art of reading fortunes in animal entrails. The person practising it is called a haruspex.
Hellica a region to the East of Egretia known for its high art, philosophical predilections, and almost constant warring between its city-states. Named after the river Helios and the largest city-state of the region. Corresponds to our ancient Greece.
Heraclion a large city-state in Hellica, sitting on a promontory on the eastern gate to the Bay of Euxis. It is the on the border between the primarily Egretian regions to the west and Hellican regions to the east.
Ides the middle of the month, either the 13th or the 15th depending on the number of days in the month. See notes.
Imago (pl. Imagines) a wax mask of dead relatives, mounted with a wig and painted to look lifelike. Only those who have achieved public nobilitas — i.e. attaining high office in the senate or priesthoods — were allowed to have their likeness made into an imago. Copies were kept by the man’s descendants and paraded in funerals and special occasions. Needless to say, women were almost never granted the ius imagines — rights to have an imago made for them. They were part of the ancestor veneration that was pervasive in Roman and Egretian cultures.
Imperium the power to command. This was the province of the senior magistrates during their year as elected officials, and when on extended commissions.
Insula (pl. Insulae) literally an island, it was used for the large tenement houses. These houses were a single structure occupying a full block, with streets lanes all around them separating them from other buildings. Hence “an island.”
Irrumator the receiver of oral sex. Used as verbal abuse less offensive than ‘Fellator’ (q.v.).
Intercalaris the period between the last month of the year, December, and the first month of the new year, Martius. It was of variable length, 60 or 61 days.
Kalends the first day of the month.
Lanista the operator of the gladiator school. Not necessarily the owner or trainer of the gladiators, but often so. This position attracted a social stigma.
Lar (pl. Lares) guardian deities. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries or fruitfulness, or an amalgamation of these. Houses, families, fields, crossroads and even Egretia itself have their own lares.
Latifundium (pl. Latifundia) a very extensive parcel of privately owned or leased land, used for large-scale farming (grain, olives or wines) or for grazing.
Legion the smallest independent army unit that can wage a war. Made up of 10 cohorts, or about 4,800 fighting men and 1,200 non-combatants.
Libitina the Egretian goddess of funeral and burial. Her temple was outside the city walls in a sacred grove. Undertakers had their offices there (or in the street of the embalmers) and were known as libitinarii. Her temple held records of all deaths in the city.
Loggia a covered exterior gallery or corridor usually on an upper level, with the outer wall open to the elements and the roof supported by a series of columns.
Ludi games or festivals. Traditionally games included chariot races and wrestling or boxing matches — but not gladiatorial games. The gladiatorial games were reserved for funeral rites, but in recent years they have started to make it into general games under the flimsiest of excuses, as a way for politicians to attract the crowds.
Ludi Egretani the “Egretian Games,” occurring yearly on September 12 to 14, similar to the early Ludi Romani. Chariot races were the crowd’s favourite part of the entertainment, with competing factions based on colours (red, white, green, and blue).
Ludi Florae known also as the Floralia, these games are dedicated to the goddess Flora. The festival had a licentious, pleasure-seeking atmosphere and featured many theatrical performances
Ludi Megalenses see Megalenses Ludi.
Magia the magical energy that permeates the world of Egretia. Its nature is a topic much debated amongst the philosophers.
Magia Elementi elemental magic, according to the classification of the Collegium Incantatorum. There were six recognised elements.
Magia Inanitas magic of the empty spaces, the void. The most mind-bending of all branches.
Magia Vita life magic, pertaining to living things.
Magia Vita Terminalis magic of the end of life, a proscribed branch of the magia vita.
Magister (pl. Magistri) expert.
Magistri Carneum literally “masters of the flesh” — doctors and healers, but with education in magia vita.
Magna Mater the Great Mother. A goddess that was not native to Egretia but imported after some conquests in the east. Her original name was Cybele and she was initially identified with the Bona Dea, but later grew a cult of her own amongst the high class women of the city.
Maior greater; when applied to siblings it means the elder.
Martius the first month of the Egretian year. Begins on the first new moon before the spring equinox. Named after Mars, the god of war and an agricultural guardian, for the beginning of the agricultural and military campaign year).
Mater mother.
Megalenses Ludi the Megalensian games, dedicated to the great mother. These were not the usual circus games, but contained many theatre plays and much dining and carousing in good nature. The great mother herself was an import to Egretian culture from the East. Her priests were eunuchs and her main worshippers were women.
Mentula (pl. Mentulae) the primary word for a penis. Used as an insult would translate to prick, dick.
Mentulam caco a common form of verbal abuse. Literally “I shit on your dick”.
Meum mel darling, a term of endearment. Literally “my honey”.
Minor lesser; when applied to siblings it means the younger.
Moecha a slut.
Mons a tall hill or a mountain.
Montes a mountain range.
Mos Maiorum the unwritten code. How things are done, from private life to public office. Literally, the established custom (mos) of the ancestors (maiores).
Mulsum wine sweetened with honey; often spiced as well.
Myrmillo (pl. Myrmillones) a heavily armed gladiator bearing a large square shield in the left hand and a metal sleeve and gladius (short sword) in their right, and a metal greave on their left leg. Their biggest distinction was the heavy helmet stylised as a fish head.
Nefastum scientiam forbidden or dangerous knowledge.
Nobilitas “the known,” those people and families who have achieved a public standing. Even though this is the root for English ‘nobility’ the term is not quite the same and does not equate with modern perception of aristocracy. A family would be considered part of the nobilitas when a member achieved fame, became a nobilis. Usually this meant by attaining a consulship, although other cases are known. Contrast to Novus Homo below.
Nones the fifth or seventh of the month. See notes.
Novus Homo (pl. Homines Novi) a “new man”. The first of a family to be elected into the senate and attain a high position (properly a consul, but generally also applies to praetors and rhones).
Nundinae (singular nundinum, but not commonly used) an eight-day interval between market days. The Egretian equivalent of a week. Due the Egretian way of inclusive counting, seven regular days plus one market day make a novemdinae — literally, nine days.
Officius the first (lowest) grade of public official within the colleges. It was not part of the cursus honorum.
Pater father.
Paterfamilias father of the family, the head of the household. The paterfamilias had absolute rule over his family. He could order what each would do and could — in theory, at least — execute them without punishment. While some of the more extreme measures were socially frowned upon, the status of the man as the absolute head of the household was deeply protected by law.
Patina technically a large, shallow pan, it often refers to any dish of eggs and toppings cooked in such a pan. Etymologically the source of the modern Spanish paella. The egg dish itself is somewhat between an omelette and a custard, and toppings ranged from nuts and berries, to jellyfish, to sausages and brains.
Pharos a lighthouse. Usually referring to the great lighthouse of Egretia.
Pons a bridge.
Porta a gate in the walls.
Praenomen the first name of a person, e.g. Gaius, Marcus etc. Note that women did not have a praenomen but were named after the gens (family name). There were only about 30 odd names, of which about half were archaic and not in regular use. Three names — Lucius, Gaius, and Marcus — accounted for almost two-thirds of the population.